Barton took to Twitter this evening to express surprise regarding the loss of his Queens Park Ranger squad number.

The midfielder’s old number 17 shirt was given to summer signing Ryan Nelsen who joined from Tottenham.

Barton must serve a 12-game ban to start the season after his dismissal in the final match of last season against his former club Manchester City, and he has been stripped of the club captaincy.

Summer speculation that the 29-year-old would be sold or loaned out has so far come to nothing, but the new QPR squad list, announced on the club’s website, does little to suggest he has a future with the club.

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